Low pay blights the lives of huge and growing numbers in the United Kingdom. Real problems of low pay and rising costs of living are fuelling widening inequality, and are taking the country backwards.
That is why during this, the Living Wage week, Labour has reaffirmed a commitment to raising the legal minimum wage to at least £10 an hour by 2020.
Labour’s Real Living Wage will be set by an independent Living Wage Review Body using the same methodology as the current voluntary living wage, and would immediately boost the incomes and opportunities of more than 20 percent of the workforce, especially in sectors such as retail, care and hospitality.
The Real Living Wage would mean:
- A pay rise to the 5.6 million workers who are currently paid less than the voluntary living wage
- Full-time employees currently earning the Government’s National Living Wage will be better off by over £2,500 in 2020
- Labour will abolish the lower youth rate, making everyone over 18 entitled to the Real Living Wage. This means that 21-24 year olds currently earning the National Minimum Wage (NMW) will be better off by over £4,500 in 2020
Where work pays, living standards rise and reliance on benefits falls, and a Labour government will be committed to rebalancing our economy so that no one and no community is left behind.
What do you think?
We want you to get involved and help build on our manifesto pledges. By posting on our website you can give your ideas around a Real Living Wage, share your experiences, or submit a new policy idea that you think should be addressed.
Find out how to make a submission here: https://www.policyforum.labour.org.uk/about/get-involved
Find out more on Labour’s policy here: http://www.labour.org.uk/index.php/manifesto2017
